Beloved Community Resource ‘Keep Austin Country’ Returns

A few years ago, a cool little grassroots effort was started in Austin called Keep Austin Country. It wasn’t about trying to scare away other genres from the Austin music scene as much as creating a great community resource for finding the best country shows happening in Austin and in the greater central Texas region.

Keep Austin Country also helped promote Austin’s country artists, both for locals, and for out-of-towners who wanted to to get the authentic Austin country experience, as well as promoting national touring country acts playing in the area.

Unfortunately, as life got in the way for the folks running Keep Austin Country, it just sort of faded out over time. But now Austin-based artist manager Kurt Whitley, along with ecommerce businesswoman and country performer Dani McDonnell are looking to revitalize the effort, and will be officially relaunching Keep Austin Country on June 1st, complete with a relaunch party at Austin’s famed honky-tonk The White Horse, with Austin-based artists Kathryn Legendre, Aaron McDonnell, Mayeux and Broussard, and JD Clark performing.

“Keep Austin Country has been something I’ve wanted to get my hands on for awhile, and it just ended being the right timing about three months ago and everything fell into place,” says Kurt Whitley. “I discovered quite a few of my favorite country artists via Keep Austin Country back in the day, so I’m very excited to bring it back and make it even better.”

As some long-time readers of Saving Country Music know, the site is based in Austin, not Nashville (you’d be surprised how many folks get this wrong), though Saving Country Music is not really a dedicated Austin, TX outlet. The focus is more national and global. In fact, whenever yours truly wanted to see what the best show was in Austin on a given night, I would check Keep Austin Country, and would refer folks coming from out-of-town to do the same since it was the best place to find the best shows.

“We have the goal to be THE website people visit for country music shows in the central Texas area while also promoting the best local artist and national (true country) artists when they visit the area,” continues Kurt Whitley. “We will also be adding in different features over the next few months that will only shine more light on true local, up and coming country music artists.”

You can follow Keep Austin Country on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter. The website will officially launch on June 1st, which is the same day of the launch party at The White Horse, with proceeds benefiting HAAM—The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.